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Butch Jones
Football Coaching Staff / Coaching Carousel Thread
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ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
There's clearly a demand for some names so let's get going on that.
Lane Kiffin - Stop me if you've heard this one before, but Kiffin's team is struggling badly despite having a ton of talent this year. He's a guy that just seems allergic to his own success. As a head coach he's always been all hat and no cattle. Pass.
Ken Niumatalolo - A great record at Navy, but he didn't build that program, he's got almost no non-service academy experience (which is very relevant for recruiting) his team has been in a bit of decline the last couple of years and he's a Hawaiian native devout Mormon who would be a weird fit at Illinois. But your head's in the right place because:
Jeff Monken - His Army program is now the top dog among the service academies, after being in the gutter when he got there. He's from a legendary Illinois high school coaching family and he's had a ton of success as HC at Georgia Southern and an assistant to Paul Johnson at GA Tech. He's an absolutely perfect fit for the job. Our roster is as good of a fit for a transition to a triple option system as you can be. And triple option makes a lot of sense for an Illinois program which often faces a talent deficit.
Butch Davis - 66 years old. Pass.
Manny Diaz - Makes some sense as a young defensive mind who is also a strong recruiter. You get the feeling defensive coaches who know how to slow down new-wave offenses are going to be the next big thing. But he failed pretty badly at Texas, can I make another "same idea" suggestion?
Mike Elko - Great defensive turnarounds at Bowling Green, Wake Forest, Notre Dame and now Texas A&M. It kinda looks like he was the behind-the-scenes key to Dave Clawson's success at BG and WF. Assistants are tricky because you don't know how they'll handle the top job and they don't have a ready-made staff to bring with them, but in terms of emerging defensive minds, Elko is at the top of the heap.
Jim McElwain - I don't know if Illinois' current situation is a great fit for a big name re-tread, but McElwain is a good coach. He was a weak recruiter at Florida though, a pretty darned easy place to recruit to. Bielema could go in this group too, Butch Jones, is RichRod too toxic to bring back? Greg Schiano would take the job, are we interested?
A couple other suggestions:
Neal Brown - Great offenses have followed wherever he's been, and he's turned Troy into a very strong program. Great recruiter. Would he take the job?
Seth Littrell - Basically the same story at North Texas. Would be able to recruit the heck out of that state. Might have his eye on a bigger jump for his next job and do we have the QB's and WR's to run his offense? (a bit of a concern with Neal Brown as well).
Jake Spavital - Very, very young. But an amazing resume of great QB's and offenses for his age, and with Lincoln Riley being the toast of the football world as a coach, Spavital has a pretty similar resume at a similar age.
Ryan Day - The latest guy operating Darth Meyer's Death Star, but he's also got a background working with Chip Kelly in the NFL and turning around Boston College's offense as OC under Addazio. Good recruiter and an impressive guy at the podium. He'll be an HC somewhere soon.
These two are not alike. Mark Stoops has a better job than Illinois right now and is in line for an even better one if he wants it. Zero chance he leaves Kentucky for Illinois.
If Butch Jones has any chance at ever being a Power Five head coach again, it's going to be at an Illinois type job. Who knows if he wants it, but he can't do better.
JJE
- Bethalto, IL
Exactly. I just don’t see Lovie wanting to stay here much longer after three bad years. Maybe I’m wrong but his demeanor seems uninterested, but then again it is Lovie.
BananaShampoo
Captain 'Paign
- Phoenix, AZ
Umm yes he most certainly did. He was our DC and Maryland connection and the reason we pulled in guys like Rejus Benn.
DaChief4ever
- Urbana
Dave Aranda, LSU?
Deleted member 654622
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Did you watch him in Chicago? This is who he is, not an indication of his current feelings.
Illinivek23
- Gurnee
Been wanting Aranda for a while. He would be at the top of the List, IMHO.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
He's in the first year of a 4-year $10 million contract at LSU. We could pay him more, but I think he might be a Kirby Smart-type who is content being an assistant until an elite job comes along. Or maybe he's a Bud Foster type who isn't really that eager to be a head coach at all. That's more common than you'd think among the best college DC's, not sure why.
But it's worth asking the question, because he's an excellent coach.
3DegreeIllini
- Chicago,IL
I’ve said it before, but a sad part about this will be the embarrassment of admitting to the anonymous B1G coaches interviewed each preseason who skewered this hire every year that they were right.
When a hiring mishap happens at Michigan or Nebraska it’s a minor setback. Here, back to back abject failures will sink the program to depths previously unknown - so low I can’t even see a 2007-2010 “run” happening again in the foreseeable future.
We can only hope Brohm to Louisville so that we maybe have some additional company in the perpetual basement with us and Rutgers.
When a hiring mishap happens at Michigan or Nebraska it’s a minor setback. Here, back to back abject failures will sink the program to depths previously unknown - so low I can’t even see a 2007-2010 “run” happening again in the foreseeable future.
We can only hope Brohm to Louisville so that we maybe have some additional company in the perpetual basement with us and Rutgers.
The coaching staff needs to be replaced.I hope Whitman has a list of replacements and is starting the process.
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I am all for firing Lovie as I don’t think it can be any worse. That being said, we aren’t going to pull a big time SEC DC/OC to the UofI in our current state. We aren’t a program that they look at and see the potential that they are looking to take their talents and further their career. We need to look for the next Fleck, Brohm or the likes. Aranda will get a bunch of credit for LSU’s success this year and would probably like to take his shot at winning a NC the next couple years and position himself to take over another high level program that has been competitive, but couldn’t win the big games to put them over the hump. We aren’t a stepping stone school. We are a “he got his first HC job at UofI years ago when they were at the bottom of D1 football” program right now. KU may be a better landing spot than us right now.
JW needs to do his research and find the next guy who everybody he speaks with says the same thing...1) understands college football and has connections to fill out a staff that can flat out recruit 2) is enthusiastic and his passion will show through the way his players practice and play on the field
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Don’t be so quick to dismiss Champaign as a place that quality candidates will dismiss out of hand. Top 20 salary, brand new football facility, weaker half of a P5 conference, national TV coverage and an AD who is an alumni of the program and will do anything within reason to support the coach make the gig more attractive than some others. The right guy can turn this around. Becoming clear that Lovie isn’t it. We need great recruiters AND teachers. Lovie proven neither. Someone else will get a turn unless next year shows improvement.
the national
- the Front Range
He would have to remove that Ugly Hawkeye off of his calf for me to actually consider him.
Agreed.
On a totally diff point. In Chicago he had a bunch of professional players, paid millions, mature (supposedly) and did not really need baby sitting.
College is different. Lovie, with all due respect, is not cut out for the college scene. Nothing against him. Just the way it is. I guess he was hired with the expectation that his name would attract kids and then he could somehow work his magic on 17/18 year olds. That experiment seems to have failed so far.
i don't know why or how, but this team has quit on their coach. its bad to the point that I cant watch, I cant attend, I cant defend.
i'm done until something drastic changes. please minimally replace the d-coordinator now. Nickerson spent some time away from
the team this year. I don't think he wants to be here. If nothing changes with lovie running the defensive, pay him off, take the
bullet and start over with a young up an coming coach. I can wait. I believe the current players are at least good enough to
contend with the bottom four in the big ten.
i'm done until something drastic changes. please minimally replace the d-coordinator now. Nickerson spent some time away from
the team this year. I don't think he wants to be here. If nothing changes with lovie running the defensive, pay him off, take the
bullet and start over with a young up an coming coach. I can wait. I believe the current players are at least good enough to
contend with the bottom four in the big ten.
Maybe it's possible that a new HC would keep Rod Smith, C Patterson to try and keep William's on board. He can be good in this offense with a solid line and a couple receivers.
I think Lovie stays, but Hardy Nickerson will get fired.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
If you're firing Lovie THIS season, you're only doing that because you've really lost the culture internally in the program, and while that may not be Rod Smith's fault, I don't think it's viable to bring leadership from that back. Patterson maybe.
But you don't make these decisions based on Isaiah Williams. If he's that big of a consideration, Lovie Smith is your head coach next year.
The offense has improved so lets bring in a new DC if that does not work Lovie must go and it will break my heart
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Let's ask a couple of the uncomfortable questions here:
1. Do we have the money to buy out Lovie's contract and credibly replace him? $12 million is a ton.
2. Even if we do have the money, would it be better earmarked toward an Ubben renovation that's also desperately needed?
3. Does Josh Whitman have the institutional credibility to move forward? Would prospective coaching candidates view him as someone who is going to be able to stick with them long-term?
My guesses to those answers is that we don't have the money, the money we do have is better spent on Ubben, and this is all moot because Whitman is full steam ahead with Lovie until at least next year and he has the administrative backing to do that.
But those are just guesses.
Signing day for basketball is Nov 14. Maui is Nov 19-21. Football ends its season against Northwestern Nov. 24. I would imagine some very serious conversations will be happening in the halls of power at U of I about the state of the DIA and where we go from here.
1. Do we have the money to buy out Lovie's contract and credibly replace him? $12 million is a ton.
2. Even if we do have the money, would it be better earmarked toward an Ubben renovation that's also desperately needed?
3. Does Josh Whitman have the institutional credibility to move forward? Would prospective coaching candidates view him as someone who is going to be able to stick with them long-term?
My guesses to those answers is that we don't have the money, the money we do have is better spent on Ubben, and this is all moot because Whitman is full steam ahead with Lovie until at least next year and he has the administrative backing to do that.
But those are just guesses.
Signing day for basketball is Nov 14. Maui is Nov 19-21. Football ends its season against Northwestern Nov. 24. I would imagine some very serious conversations will be happening in the halls of power at U of I about the state of the DIA and where we go from here.
BananaShampoo
Captain 'Paign
- Phoenix, AZ
Agree. I think we are arguably in a better place than Purdue when Brohm took over. Or Shiano at Rutgers. Or Fitzy at NW. It can be turned around quick with the right guy.
There is 0% chance Lovie Smith is fired before the 2019-2020 season. You people are living in fantasyland.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Which season are you referring to?
Because while I will be surprised if Lovie is not coaching here next year, and still, after all this, I believe significant improvement is possible going forward, the Lovie Era becomes completely non-viable if next year is like this year has been.
I took a look at history, and offer a few comments regarding what history tells us, and look forward to hearing what others think. I have lost all confidence and belief that this staff can right the ship, BTW. Here are are few numbers to consider. Since John Mackovic left town (after the 1991 season), in 27 seasons of Illinois football, the Illini have had a winning record in conference play in exactly 4 of those seasons ('92, '93, Tepper; 2001, Turner; 2007, the Zooker). The Illini were even in conference play (4-4) in 4 seasons ('94; '99; 2002; 2010). That means that Illinois Football has had a losing record in Conference play in 19 of the last 27 seasons. Of those 19 seasons, 15 seasons the record included 2 or fewer wins. Since the Chief was escorted off the property, record in conference play is 26W, 69L. If you take out year one post Chief, when the Zooker got the Illini to 6-2, the conference record is 20W, 67L. Ripping off wins at a winning Percentage of 0.230. I realize that the University didn't give a damn for a generation (or longer), and now we are asking a staff that really is not suited to the college game to recruit, coach, and turn it around. I believed that there would be an uptick in recruiting; haven't seen it. I thought that there would be organization and discipline on D; Really haven't seen it. I do believe that the University now would like to turn it around, thus the contracts and staff. It is not working. I don't think that Lovie has the ability to take the necessary steps and adjust to the college game on his own. Mr. Whitman, I have tremendous confidence in you; It is your move.
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